55-turbine wind farm on line in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The Canadian subsidiary of French power company GDF Suez said it started operations at a 55-turbine wind project off the coast of British Columbia.

GDF Suez Canada Inc. started commercial operations at its Cape Scott wind farm on Vancouver Island. The facility will use 55 turbines to generate 99 megawatts of energy at peak capacity. The French company says that's enough to meet the annual energy needs of approximately 100,000 households.

Power from the facility is sold to regional utility company BC Hydro as part of a 20-year purchase agreement.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association said it estimates the cost of wind power facilities in British Columbia to be less than other provinces. It says energy demand is expected to increase in the province.

The federal government in Canada set a goal of generating 90 percent of its electricity from low-carbon or zero-carbon sources by the end of the decade.

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